Trial of D.C. officer charged in death of woman and child to start

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) – A trial starts in Prince George’s County this week for a D.C. police officer charged in the deaths of a woman and her young child.

A Circuit Court judge is hearing arguments Monday in the case against Richmond Phillips, and opening statements are expected later in the week.

Phillips was arrested in June 2011 after police found the body of 20-year-old Wynetta Wright in the Oxon Run Stream Valley Park. Her 1-year-old daughter, Jaylin, was found dead nearby in a car seat in Wright’s car. Police say she may have died as a result of exposure to the heat. Court records show Phillips and Wright were involved in a paternity dispute.

A D.C. police spokeswoman says Phillips, who had been a vice officer assigned, is suspended without pay.

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